- present participle of decrease.
decreasing
Americanadjective
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becoming less or fewer; diminishing.
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Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is less than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nonincreasing.
Usage
What does decreasing mean? Decreasing is an adjective that means lessening or in decline—becoming less in number, amount, size, or in some other way. It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb decrease, which means to lessen or become reduced in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will continue to decrease unless we cut costs. The word decreased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have lessened or declined, as in a decreased appetite. Example: Decreasing sales have forced the company to cut costs.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of decreasing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at decrease, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Decreasing the number of what she terms “motivated offenders” within an organization does not lead to a decrease in terrorist attacks, according to her research.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2024
Decreasing calories without depriving the body of essential vitamins and minerals, known as calorie restriction, has long been known to delay the progression of age-related diseases in animal models.
From Science Daily • Oct. 13, 2023
Decreasing India's dependence on Russia for its defense needs and increasing its own manufacturing capabilities will be among the top themes discussed between the two countries, the second source said.
From Reuters • Jun. 16, 2023
Decreasing the ratio of product size to price only advantages profit margins.
From Washington Post • Oct. 27, 2022
The antitheses of such verses as the following are irresistible: For me, as Mr. Wordsworth says, The duties shine like stars; I formed my uncle's character, Decreasing his cigars.
From G. K. Chesterton, A Critical Study by West, Julius
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
